The present invention relates to a method of producing a high-pressure gas, and more particularly to a method of making a high-pressure gas for use as driving energy for turbines to propel small-sized self-propelling submarine bodies.
As a method of obtaining a power for propelling small-sized submarine bodies, it is known to use metals as fuels, especially aluminum which releases a large amount of heat per unit volume and which is available at a relatively low cost. With this method, molten aluminum is reacted with water as represented by the following equation to give a high-pressure gas. EQU 2Al + 3H.sub.2 O .fwdarw. Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 + 3H.sub.2
although this method is generally considered to be advantageous, the alumina (A1.sub.2 O.sub.3) resulting from the above reaction immediately covers the surface of aluminum to inhibit the reaction if the reaction temperature is low, so that it is reportedly impossible to permit continuous reaction unless the reaction system is maintained at a high temperature of at least 2,318.degree. C, the melting point of alumina. In practice, however, extreme difficulties are encountered in maintaining the reaction system at such a high temperature, consequently making the method still-infeasible in spite of the advantage resulting from the use of aluminum fuel.